Guansi Shude Hospital

The Shude Hospital, located on Zhongshan Road in Guansi Township, was designed and built in 1936 by architect Song Jinsong. This two-story building, featuring a hybrid Japanese and Western architectural style, was the first reinforced concrete building in the Guansi area and served as an early landmark of Guansi Township. The hospital's walls are crafted from delicate cream-colored washed aggregate, and its roof is made of gray Japanese tiles. The facade features octagonal windows and round columns, presenting a simple yet period-appropriate style. Shude Clinic, established in 1936, has endured through the Japanese colonial period, the KMT government era, and up to the present day. Both the interior and exterior of the building remain well-preserved, and the clinic continues to provide medical services as usual. Thanks to Dr. Chen Yunfang's expertise, Shude Clinic became renowned in the region as a master in treating external, internal, pediatric, dermatological, measles, and diphtheria conditions. Later, his descendants expanded the clinic into an inpatient hospital, continuing to provide medical care to the people of Guansi. Sitting in the consultation room, one can almost envision the history of medical development. Compared to the high-rise buildings in cities, this low, two-story structure might seem unremarkable. However, its gray tiled roof, egg-yolk yellow pebble-dash walls, octagonal windows, and round columns invite a second look. Before the use of reinforced concrete, houses were mostly built with traditional materials such as iron, wood, and stone. The advent of reinforced concrete not only allowed for the construction of sturdy, weather-resistant buildings but also earned Shude Clinic a significant reputation in the region's history.